hi! English isn't my first language. thought in italic , dialogue in " ", POV alterning and Naruto's still not mine, also expect canon violence.
Chapter 25
Hanabi Hyuuga considered herself a good kunoichi.
She was already considered a prodigy in her clan at the age of seven and she had rose through the ranks of Konoha shinobi in an impressive manner considering her unique circumstances. When she dethroned her sister in the eyes of the Hyuuga council, she started to receive the official heiress training and treatment instead of Hinata. (Not that her sister let up, she also worked and studied hard under their grandmother who believed in giving her a fighting chance).
Being an heiress to a clan as old and traditional as the Hyuuga robbed her of a normal shinobi path. She didn't interact much with her peers in the academy. She never had a sensei other than her father and tutors and she wasn't put on a genin team. So, when she took the Chunin exam without the experience of D and C-rank missions, it was quite the feat to pass from the first try.
That earned her the respect of the Hyuuga council, which helped her sister argue in her favor to allow her to take a few missions outside the village despite it being forbidden for the future heir of the clan.
"If someone like me can go on missions and come back alive then surely a prodigy like Hanabi-chan will come back unscathed." It was a degrading statement and she hated that Hinata had to put herself down in order for her to shine, but it had the desired effect.
When she scolded her sister for it later, she smiled in that affectionate manner and told her she needed to learn how to speak her adversary's language to win.
Hanabi had since paid more attention to her sister as she learned there was more to being an heiress than being a good kunoichi. And although she was considered the strongest between them, she learned that her sister had different strengths; a gentler hand in leadership, an empathy that inspired loyalty, a sharp and cunning mind hidden behind a smile. (That was without considering what she became capable off since she branched out of the Hyuuga techniques under the Uchiha's tutelage)
Considering all the lessons Hinata had poured inside her mind to help her be the best leader she could be, even after she regained her title back (That had been a nightmare that divided the main house members for the first time in many years. It only came to an end when her sister announced she'll be giving up her title). Considering all she'd learned; she should've seen this coming.
She had been played the fool, the same way the Hyuuga council was played. Because her sister spoke her language well and unfortunately today Hanabi was her adversary.
She fell for the soft morning greeting and the usual bright smile. She fell for the invitation for breakfast and the promise of quality time with her Onee-chan.
When Hinata's smile disappeared right after they ordered the pancakes she'd been craving, Hanabi got whiplash.
She forgot how good her sister was at appearing non-threatening. She actually forgot that her sister might be mad at her and if Hinata went to all those lengths of hiding her emotions, then she was in for a scolding of epic proportions.
Oh boy.
"How long?" The eldest asked calmly. That was a bad sign.
"What?" Hanabi wondered if she could get away with playing dumb.
"How long have you been spying on Sasuke and I?" Apparently, her sister wasn't going to allow that.
"Last night." The brown-haired kunoichi fidgeted "You were acting weird and I wanted to know why."
"Hmm." Hinata took a sip from her coffee "Hanabi. The whole truth if you please?"
Damn it. Sometimes lying to her was as challenging as lying to Neji.
"Promise you won't be mad." The youngest sister grimaced at the raised eyebrow. They were past that point. "I caught Uchiha-san in your room the first time two weeks before the tournament began."
"The first time?" Almost identical eyes narrowed.
Oops.
"Then again the night before the beginning of the tournament." It was best if she came clean.
"So, you've been spying on me the whole time since then." The blue haired kunoichi put her steaming cup down.
"Yes" Hanabi mumbled.
"Not only did you violate my privacy but you also violated the most sacred rule of the Hyuuga." The youngest heiress felt shame at her sister's disappointed sigh "It is a breach of trust."
"I was just curious." So she broke a rule, big whoop.
"Curiosity killed the cat." Hinata reminded.
"But satisfaction brought it bad." She answered.
"Hanabi." Her tone conveyed her non amusement "You are the future leader of our clan, why should anyone follow you if you disregard its most cardinal rules?"
It was moments like this that reminded her that no matter what the council said about Hinata's inadequacy, she always grasped the concept and duty of a leader better than her.
"Do you remember your history about the first Hyuuga contribution to the founding of Konoha?" Hanabi straightened in her seat, it was rare that Hinata tested her on her leadership. But she always felt the need to prove herself to her the most.
"Yes." The youngest heiress said "Once the pact between the Senju and Uchiha was made. They offered a place for clans in need of shelter with the promise of protection in exchange for their contribution and loyalty to the village."
"Very good." Her sister's lips quirked in approval and she felt emboldened to continue.
"The Uchiha clan extended an invitation to its sister clan with a Dojutsu, the one that was rumored they evolutionized from: us." The brown-haired kunoichi stated.
"That was never proven." Her sister gently corrected.
"We could always ask Uchiha-san." She cleared her throat at her sister's glare. Maybe it wasn't the best time to remind her of her transgression, although Hanabi had a feeling that this lesson circled back to it.
"And what did our promise to the village entail?" Hinata sipped her coffee again.
"The Hyuuga promised to be another set of eyes that used its visual prowess to protect Konoha's back the same way the Uchiha protected its front. That we'll look underneath the underneath to uncover any secrets meant to harm the village." She ignored the pancakes placed in front of her as she felt this was the moment when her sister finally made her point.
"Very good. Except our eyes see more than what was necessary and the joining clans were weary of us looking too closely into their affairs." The eldest said "So we made an oath to not misuse our gift outside the battlefield to respect the villagers' privacy."
Oh. Hanabi's cheek flushed in shame.
"That is the reason we don't use our Byakugan inside the compound when we are not training." Hinata scolded "Don't you think it will be easier for us to find someone we're looking for inside the village with the Byakugan? And yet we look for them the regular way. Because we promised we wouldn't abuse the village's trust."
"I'm sorry. I didn't think of it that way." She mumbled.
"You need to start thinking of things in every way." Hinata insisted "You are the future of our clan and they will look for you for guidance."
"Isn't that what you hated most about being heiress?" The youngest held her sister's gaze in challenge, it stung a little that she was repeating the elders' speech. "This stiffling need to obey every rule."
"Hanabi you do not need to be rigid the way the council wants you to be." Her eyes softened "Find the balance between old and new. Keep the solid foundation of honor upon which our clan was established and shake up the rest."
"Why should anyone follow me when you're clearly the better choice?" Hanabi cast her eyes on the table, feeling the insecurity creeping in "Even the branch members think so too. Why not keep your title? It is yours by birth."
"Because you are the best choice for the position." Silver orbs glanced back up when she heard the conviction in her voice "Because you are good and intelligent and ruthless when you have to be. Because I believe in you. You have what it takes to bring us into a brighter future."
Hanabi was left speechless at the fire she saw burning in her sister's gaze.
"The council underestimate you and think you are easier to manipulate but you do not yield to anyone's demands my little firecracker." Lavender tinted eyes crinkled with affection "You will take the Hyuuga clan by storm and I for one cannot wait to watch the fireworks."
Hanabi felt the wetness gathering in her eyes but she blinked it away immediately. There was no need for people to know how touching her sister's sentiment and faith was. One of her biggest fears was that Hinata would one day resent her for taking away her birthright.
"Will you be there to help me?" She wasn't ashamed to admit needing someone to cover her shortcomings.
"Every step of the way." Hinata answered "They cannot get rid of me that easily."
"They will not dare with Uchiha-san looming in the background" Hanabi grinned "speaking of, want to tell me what was it I witnessed last night?"
"Don't think you're out of the woods yet." The eldest tried to hide her blush behind her cup "I won't be entertaining any more of your questions about Sasuke."
"But I have so many!" The young heiress pouted "Like why was he in your room? And he looked like he was about to kiss you before you noticed me, did he? And…."
"You're not allowed to know any of what is going on with me and him." The blue haired kunoichi cut her off "That is your punishment for spying."
"But there is something going on between you and him." Her grin made an appearance again when her sister's cheeks flushed.
"Hanabi. Eat your pancakes." Hinata glared half-heartedly.
"Oh come on!" She whined.
This wasn't fair. She was so invested in this from the beginning. It was she who noticed that they were spending time together. It was she who had an inkling that the last Uchiha might be interested in her sister.
She made so many efforts to make it happen. From dropping (heavy handed) hints to Hinata and trying to get inside her head with her teasing while simultaneously bringing her attention to the Uchiha's good looks, to telling him about her sister's love for dancing on the off chance that he'd ask her (She was a bit shocked when he did)
And the effort she made of booking the seats near him for the preliminaries (although that was useless, seeing as Hinata was down in the arena kicking ass).
And all that she'd done in the party! Having her sister all dolled up wearing the dress he liked.
There was no appreciation whatsoever to the master strokes she made to get all the obstacles out of the way so they'd have the perfect night (but that cow Sakura ruined it completely).
She went to considerable lengths; She had Tenten slip Lee alcohol to create a diversion for Neji. She urged Hinata towards the bar when she saw the last Uchiha enter. She even distracted Kiba so he wouldn't turn into a snarling dog when his overprotective instinct ultimately rose at the sight of the dark-haired shinobi flirting with his teammate.
Maybe what was maddening was that it was so obvious they both liked each other and that judging by the Uchiha's behavior he was ready to make a move. Maybe he already did!
But now she wouldn't get to know.
Hanabi huffed. It wasn't fair.
"Am I at least allowed to ask about the snake hiding behind your hair?" She was still pouting.
"Yes." It slithered out when it was caught "This is Mamoru, he's a summon."
"Where did you find him?" She cocked an eyebrow.
"I am not at liberty of discussing that information." Hinata's eyes were filled with mirth "You do not have clearance to access it"
"Onee-chan!" Hanabi whined again. Well that answered that.
He obviously belongs to Uchiha-san.
But she wanted confirmation. Did he leave it with her just because he was going away? Because she did notice his Anbu gear last night. He probably had a mission.
"Did Uchiha-san come to your room to say goodbye before taking a mission?" She gasped. Now that would be totally romantic.
"You do not have clearance to access that…"
"Onee-chan!"
Hanabi glared at her sister's laughter, while shoveling another bite of the delicious pancakes.
Whatever. She'll wear her down eventually.
No matter what any of his friends and fellow Shinobi thought about him and his so-called redemption, Sasuke Uchiha knew that he could not realistically put his days as a missing nin completely behind him.
He did not enjoy the nightmares that haunted his nights or the guilt and despair he felt when thinking about his brother's fate. Nor all he had done in the name of revenge or the people he hurt in the process.
However, there were parts of him that relished in the power that ran through his veins. The destruction he could bring about with a swing of his Susano. The black flames that burned hot for seven days and seven nights, inextinguishable without his command. Mainly he craved the release of that pent up energy. Frankly it was a necessity if he wants to stay sane, which was why he was usually excited for any type of mission especially with the potential of a deadly fight.
Usually.
This time however, the Uchiha couldn't help but think that this whole thing was an inconvenience. Really the timing couldn't have been worse.
Just as he finally acted on his suppressed…cravings (*cough* feelings) towards Hinata, he found himself on the road to go investigate the imbecile who thought it wise to poke the hornet's nest. Leaving him with unfinished business, and he did not like to leave her hanging. Although he hoped he had made his intentions quite clear.
Still. That only added to his irritation.
The poor son of bitch responsible for his plait will get what's coming for him for daring to interrupt his time with his Hyuuga princess.
To have an Uchiha on your trail, you're in trouble.
To have a pissed of Uchiha on your trail, you're a dead man walking. (Or woman because he didn't discriminate when it came to stabbing people who pissed him off)
Sasuke sighed in aggravation as he took his first steps inside Orochimaru's lair. He couldn't exactly call it anything else seeing as how dark and creepy it still looked.
Not that that type of thing bothered him. He was after all the proud owner of the Uchiha ghost district.
A bit morbid perhaps but he wasn't the bright and shiny type anyway.
He didn't bother with hiding his chakra signature, announcing his arrival immediately. It didn't take long for his former deranged sensei to appear.
"Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru grinned showing his teeth "It is good to see my favorite pupil."
"Hn." He didn't bother responding but walked past him to where he knew his office was located.
"Always so serious" The resurrected Sanin chuckled, following him "As you wish."
They entered a dimly lit office that after all this years still smelled of death and decay. He wrinkled his nose.
"One of Jūgo's little friends informed him of the breach that occurred in the old Uchiha fortress." His former mentor said.
"Any description?" Sasuke's voice was crisp and straight to the point.
"Nothing helpful. Multiple culprits. Black ninja attire, no forehead protector. They just trashed the place and left the message."
"Where is Jūgo?" The Uchiha asked, he needed to confirm with him as he trusted his former teammate over the snake.
"Living a quiet life in a cottage at the edge of the village." Orochimaru answered as he opened a drawer looking for something "As quiet life as possible when sharing the house with Karin and Suigetsu when they visit."
"Hn." He wasn't in a talkative mood. It was probably this place, some type of buried conditioning that made his guard rise.
"I heard a rumor lately pertaining to you" The man if he could still be called that smiled in that creepy way. Sasuke only raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Some kunoichi is impersonating your clan's name." He chuckled throwing a small book in his direction "I assume you'll be paying her a visit after your mission."
The Uchiha flipped through the pages of what he knew to be a bingo book for bounty hunters. His picture of course had the highest price.
Maybe those who invaded the fortress were simply trying to draw him out to collect his head. They'll be in for a surprise.
He was pulled out of his musings when his obsidian eyes fell upon a familiar face.
Whomever drew her didn't do justice to her lovely features. He was bias since his Sharingan burned every exquisite detail in his mind. Still the picture was close enough to the real thing.
Only her profile was visible. Hard pearly eyes stared back at him over a shoulder, where blue tresses were twisted in a braid. His clan emblem on her back only added to the dramatic flair. The artist even drew flames in the background.
This was The Blue Flame.
Sasuke had to suppress a smirk. Quite the high bounty on the princess's head.
Even though he was worried that rogue ninja will be gunning for her, a part of him was proud that she was deemed this dangerous to be put in a bingo book.
"She also appears in the Cloud's bingo book" Orochimaru's voice rang in the silence "A-ranked, proceed with caution."
Now he really couldn't fight off that smirk. Hinata sure left an impression on them.
"Do you need help locating her?" The snake failed to hide his curiosity.
"No need." The Uchiha closed the book "I already know where she is. Konoha."
"That complicates things" The Sanin answered "If you want to keep your freedom you'll have to make it look like an accident."
"Tch. I won't as I'm the one who gave her permission to wear the Uchiha fan." He saw his yellow eyes widen, then turn into slits. His old mentor went back to his drawer and pulled out another book, then another. He proceeded to flip through them.
"Aha. I knew her face looked familiar." Orochimaru smirked "Hinata Hyuuga, the heiress to the Hyuuga clan"
Sasuke took a look at the old photo in a dated bingo book. She must've been around sixteen, their paths didn't cross then so he had no idea what she used to look like.
Cute was the word that came to mind. With chubby cheeks and endearing blush. Innocent eyes peered from behind her fringe.
He still saw that look sometimes when she was acting bashful.
The bounty on her then wasn't that high. Her eyes however were listed as priceless.
Was it concerning that she had assassins after her since her teenage years? Yes.
Was he worried? A bit but she can handle herself.
"So the other rumor is true." Yellow eyes gleamed in the dark "You found yourself a Hyuuga."
Sasuke schooled his expression to one of indifference. News sure travels fast. A month barely passed since the event of the tournament but apparently that was enough time for people to start linking them together.
Well, what did you expect draping her in everything Uchiha?
His techniques, his clan colors, his clan emblem, even his name.
He had staked a claim marking her as his even though at first it was done unconsciously, and with mostly pure intentions. Now the thought of staking that claim in other ways stirred that possessive side his clan used to be known for.
"All that potential if you were to breed with a Hyuuga possessing a pure Byakugan." He was pulled out of his thoughts with that uncouth comment "You'd get such impressive vessels."
"Watch it" His red orbs appeared. So did his Katana press on the other's man neck "If you're so eager to meet your makers I can send you to them. Again."
"Temper. Temper." He chuckled. "I forgot how sensitive you are to anything related to your clan."
"Hn." He pulled back his sword. Maybe he was temperamental today but the way he spoke about her as if she was mere chattel angered him. As if that was her only value. The thought that some of her clan also believed that made him even more likely to cut someone's head off today.
The Uchiha turned around without saying another word. He was done with this conversation.
He made his way through the village's streets. They at least changed, losing that dreary atmosphere. They weren't as lively as Konoha's but they didn't put him on edge like they used to. Though some people still stared or recoiled in reflex at the sight of him. His reputation wasn't the best here.
He didn't mind that. In fact, he used it to his advantage when he stepped inside a clothing shop and intimidated the owner to fast track his order, so he can pick it up once he was done with his mission.
Once done with his little detour, Sasuke made his way to an isolated cottage to reunite with some old friends.
He liked it here.
How could he not when the heat radiating from his refuge warmed his scales as if he spent an afternoon in the sun. She was really very warm.
Mamoru could understand why his Master liked her. She was warm, had soft scales herself and was really respectful and nice.
She didn't shriek at the sight of him like most of the females of that specie. She addressed him directly and didn't talk about him like he was a non conscious being. And she was so accommodating.
Since she noticed that he liked to spend his time near her window enjoying the sun, she traded her room for the garden so he can slither more comfortably in the grass while enjoying the day.
She also made sure to take him to the forest so he could hunt. He tried to tell her that it was unnecessary since going out of her lair would have her exposed to other predators but she did that thing that humans do of showing their teeth ( it wasn't really intimidating, she had no fangs) and said that his Master was just exaggerating and promised he wouldn't be upset with him and that it was just a small stroll through the forest.
Mamoru understood then why his Master Sasuke had him watch over her.
She had no self-preservation instincts. Didn't she know how dangerous the woods could be? Especially to something that squishy and small.
Not that he was one to judge considering his size, but still. At least when his Master walked outside his territory, he knew he had no reason to be frightened because he was by far the most terrifying thing walking around.
She didn't even have his Master's scent on her yet, so other predators wouldn't know to steer clear of her. He'd have to talk to Master Sasuke about that, you couldn't just leave your mate unclaimed like that.
Was it because mating season was still far away? That's not a valid reason not to claim your female.
When he asked her about it, her head changed color and she made a series of squeaking noises that reminded him of mice.
Humans were weird. Especially his Master's mate.
But as far as mates go his Master chose well, because even though she didn't give off the aura of a predator herself, he could tell she was strong enough to defend any hatchlings they might have in the future.
After all he was watching her wipe the floor with dog boy right now.
"Kiba-kun!" Hinata rushed to the fallen human "I'm so sorry! I thought you could dodge that."
"Damn Hinata." He said holding his nose as he sat up "I thought you said you just wanted a warm up."
"I'm sorry, It's just that..." She sounded remorseful. Mamoru didn't understand why. The dog boy had been showing his fangs since the beginning of their 'spar', it was only natural that she'd assert dominance if she felt threatened.
"He's not as fast as your usual training partner." The one with bugs under his skin answered. He didn't mind this one, he seemed to grasp the concept of territory and didn't hover too close to his Master's mate.
Dog boy however was a different story.
"Fuck you Shino." He growled at the other man. "I'm the fastest in all Konoha eleven."
"Yes, when we were twelve." Mamoru slithered closer to his charge as another growl was heard. "And we didn't count Uchiha-san when we got that name."
"Guys please don't fight." Hinata's hand slapped Kiba's away so she could get a good look at his nose.
"Tell him Hinata." His brown eyes turned to slits and Mamoru climbed up her back. She didn't startle, she got used to it.
"Sasuke is pretty fast." The snake felt the heat radiating from her neck when he reached it. It always happened when she was talking about his Master.
"Fine." Kiba huffed as she used the towel bug boy handed her to clean his face "But you've got to admit I was faster than him when we were Genin."
"Well…" She trailed off and the man's hackles rose.
"What?!" His hand clutched hers "Since when are you an Uchiha groupie?!"
Mamoru had enough, he quickly wrapped himself around her arm and raised his head ready to strike the offending appendage. Unfortunately, dog boy pulled his paw off before he could sink his teeth in.
"What the hell!?" Kiba glared at him "Hinata tell your slimy snake to behave or I'll feed him to Akamaru."
He hissed at him in response. At least the dog had better manners.
"Kiba-kun!" She scolded the bleeding man "That's not very nice."
Hinata started to stroke his scales in a soothing manner. It was very effective. He wondered if that worked on his Master too.
"Are you kidding me?!" Dog boy held his paw close to his chest as if he bit him. He wouldn't still be breathing if he'd succeeded "I almost get poisoned by that bastard's snake and you're defending him!"
"To be fair you were bad mouthing his Summoner." Bug boy said "And you were a bit jerky with your movements, he must've perceived you as a threat to Hinata"
"Oh Mamoru-san." He nuzzled his head to her cheek at the affectionate tone "Kiba-kun is my teammate, we were just sparring. He wouldn't hurt me."
"I still think it's creepy that he left a snake as a guard dog." Mamoru glared at him in offense. How dare he compare him to that four-legged mongrel?! "I mean you're his apprentice not his girlfriend."
Was that the human term for mate? He thought it was another word; Wefi, Wifu , something like that.
Dog boy must've had it right though because Hinata's head changed colors again. It continued to glow red as bug boy looked at her over the rim of his sunglasses.
"I…I..It..Stop talking so I can heal your face." Green chakra enveloped her palm as she brought it close to the man's broken muzzle after she set it back in place making him howl in pain.
Serves him right. She was quite impressive for such small looking thing. A good match for his Master Sasuke.
"I thought you weren't supposed to use your arm." The dog boy stood still as she fixed his face.
"It's good chakra exercise." Hinata replied with a smile "small taijutsu warm up with you guys is fine, but chakra manipulation is better"
"Just don't overdo it" Bug boy said.
"I won't." Mamoru felt her skin heat again "I already promised I'll be careful."
This phenomenon of oscillating body heat was odd.
Humans were extremely weird. Not that he minded.
Sasuke never understood some Shinobi's need to be overly dramatic. A show of power without actually being able to back it up was fruitless.
He preferred to be subtle about his, he kept his chakra restrained most of the time. Partially to not scare away the general populace who was already wary of him, not that he could blame them considering his past actions. Plus, his name alone struck fear in the heart with him being classed as S-rank rogue since the tender age of fifteen.
He wondered if he could get a Flee on sight rating like the Yellow Flash and Shisui Uchiha, but maybe that was a bit overkill, besides he was supposed to be reintegrated into society since his days as a dangerous rogue-nin were behind him. Now he had a simple S-rank; kill on sight in the bingo book. Kakashi was so proud he followed in his footsteps, that had irritated Sasuke to no end as he was just following his ambition.
The other reason he didn't let his chakra run wild was the fact that when he did, it served as an efficient warning and it amused him greatly to see Shinobi twice his age with more years of experience falter.
This however was unnecessary showy. Was he supposed to be intimidated by the message or the fact that it was written in blood?As if he hadn't seen the walls of his childhood home painted with his parents' blood.
Don't think about it.
Sasuke sighed as he examined the wall inside of the Uchiha fortress.
'We're coming for the rest of you' Were they talking about Konoha in general or just him? If they meant Konoha there were other landmarks outside the village, like the ruins of the village of Whirlpools also tied to Konoha's heritage especially since they used to be ruled by the Uzumaki clan. A direct message to the Hokage (though Naruto never explored his heritage).
Or maybe it was too close to the village for their liking. It was less risky to target the far away abandoned Uchiha fortress.
Whatever the point was, it can not be left unanswered. Yes, he was here to investigate the level of the threat but he also wouldn't let anyone think that they could desecrate Uchiha landmarks even if they were in ruins.
As long as he lived so did his clan.
Which was why he invited his former teammate Suigetsu. Even though this mission was a formality, he still didn't want to give Konoha's council any amination if he rolled a couple of heads. They've been trying to paint him as instable for years. Suigetsu was the perfect beard plus he actually liked rolling heads.
And Sasuke was a firm believer in shooting the messenger. Why? Because it sends a message.
No one disrespects the Uchiha clan and gets away with it. They didn't since the founding of Konoha and he'd be damned if he'd let them now.
Suigetsu was happy to lend a hand. A hand holding a gigantic chakra absorbing sword.
Jugo was just here for his sanity. Ironic since he had a tendency of going insane himself.
"Pigs blood." Suigetsu said as he brought his finger to his mouth after touching the message. That was gross "How disappointing, they didn't even have the balls to use human blood."
Why did I bring him with me again?
"Poor animals" Jugo's voice was soft as always. "The birds didn't see any so they must've brought the blood with them."
"How many were there?" Sasuke asked his Sharingan spinning to life as he examined the words more closely.
"Ten." The orange-haired man answered "They infiltrate it carefully and once they determined there was no one inside, they trashed the place."
The Uchiha's red eyes roamed around. There wasn't much damage done in here except the writing on the wall mostly because it was a barren room save the pre-existing rubble, the non-existing ceiling and the stone throne upon which his brother had perched waiting for him the day they fought.
His brain recalled every detail, he knew how each piece of ruble was destroyed. How the ceiling gave out under the weight of his Chidori and later on the combination of both their Fire ball jutsus.
The fact that the whole building was still standing after he opened up the heaven and summoned a thunderstorm to strike down like some type of vengeful god, was a testament to the durability of this landmark.
His eyes could pinpoint and remember every crack. The strike of his blade is there. That one was from Itachi's shuriken. The crater was made by his body after his brother sent him flying. Those scorch marks were his fire jutsu. The others were from Itachi's Ametarasu.
Such was the gift of the Sharingan.
His orbs kept sweeping the room, looking for anything out of sort. As he did so, memories rose to the surface; Itachi's ragged breath that he tried to cover up, his eyes that started to unfocus the longer he used his Dojutsu. The splatter of blood when he coughed.
How hadn't he seen that he was dying? He could see it all so clearly now.
His brain took him further back. Itachi's glistening tears as he chased him down the Uchiha district, his own hammering heart against his small ribcage, his small legs that stumbled as he ran in the streets that were painted red. Red. Red.
Such was the curse of the Sharingan.
Sasuke tried to push the vivid images to the back of his mind in order to focus more on the task at hand. He knew they'll be haunting his dreams for the next couple of days, he'll deal with the despair that was bound to eat him alive then too.
Focus! My shuriken. Itachi's Fireball. A swing of his Susanoo. There!
Four pieces of ruble out of place. The three tomoe spun faster and he could finally see it, it was barely there. The faintest traces of residual chakra. It'll be hard to track but with Jugo's help they should manage.
Maybe he should've taken Naruto up on his offer of sending a track team with him. But his team was also capable of tracking the old fashion way even without a sensory type like Karin. A Byakugan however, was a game changer. He was sure the blond would've provided him with one if he asked, but he wouldn't settle for anything but the best.
And the best was Hinata. She could see up to ten kilometers. Not even the genius of the Hyuuga clan was capable of such a feat, Neji's range was 800 meters and he was more battle oriented. Hinata however was trained to track since the age of twelve, he wondered if she was born with that range or trained her Byakugan to see that far. Probably the later or her clan wouldn't have dismissed her so early on. Or maybe they would have, they were fools clinging to their dated ideologies.
Even not here, she chases away the darkness. He thought as he realized the images weren't as vivid as they were when he recalled the shades of blue in her hair instead of all that red.
"Did you find anything?" He had exhausted Suigetsu's patience with his silence.
"Yes, I have a trail." Sasuke eyes turned obsidian again. "Sweep the place in case we still have any unwanted guests lingering. We meet here."
Jugo nodded at his command.
"Don't kill anyone yet." He ordered. He still needed information.
"Yet?" Suigetsu's sharp teeth made an appearance at the prospect of violence.
"Yet." The Uchiha confirmed that he planned to be swift with any threat to him or Konoha who happened to host a precious person.
Hinata hadn't been back here in months. She used to like this restaurant.
It was here that she did her first act of rebellion against her father, when her Sensei and teammates took her to try ramen for the very first time in her life.
Being an heiress entails that she had a certain diet to follow with only nutritious food and no sweets. It still didn't stop her voluptuous body from maturing the way it did now, not that that stopped the clan nutritionists of restricting her more food.
It was only after she had a talk with Kurenai when the older woman noticed how she always turned down anything remotely sweet, that she finally understood how heartbreaking it all was. To body shame a kunoichi. Her sensei had then asked the rest of her colleagues to let her talk to all the kunoichi when Hinata told her about the crazy diets Sakura and Ino were doing.
Her team had since made a tradition out of taking her out to eat junk food and pastries.
She couldn't help but feel lucky to have such a great team, all of them were. Ino being on a team with Choji who preached having a good relationship with food. And Sakura had Naruto who she knew would never contribute to such a thing. One of their dates was an eating competition here in Ichiraku after all, a competition she won and earned herself the title of queen of gluttony.
It was embarrassing.
Naruto had thought it was charming though his word were less eloquent as he grinned, saying that it was 'totally hot'.
And that was the reason she didn't step foot in Ichiraku for months. Because of the good memories they had together here. She thought it would only increase her sadness, but now she could only look at it with fondness.
So when Naruto asked her to meet him here, she accepted. They were do a talk.
"Hey! Hokage-sama!" The owner of the stand grinned as a tanned hand pushed away the flap.
"Teuchi-san. How many times do I have to tell you to call me Naruto again?" The blond gave him that sunny smile that used to make her heart flutter.
Now only the thought of a rare smile from a certain dark-haired individual turned her insides into a mess of swarming butterflies, bees, ladybugs and any other flying insects.
"I'll always call you Hokage-sama to remember how far that scruffy kid has come." Teuchi's words put a smile on both their faces. "So the usual Hokage-sama?"
"Yes. Thank you" Naruto took a seat beside her before looking at her nervously.
"Hello, Naruto-kun." Her still present smile put him more at ease or maybe it was the familiar way she addressed him with. She too had been calling him by his title to detach herself from the situation and convey her ire.
"Hi, Hinata-chan." He scratched the back of his head, like he always did when he didn't know how to start a conversation "How have you been?"
"I'm okay." She put a strand of hair behind her ear, one of her own nervous ticks.
"Thank you for meeting me." He said it in a tone that indicated surprise at her acceptance "I hope I'm not keeping you away from the hospital."
"No, it's okay." Hinata's lips formed a pout "Tsunade-sama kicked me out anyway. She said I have reached my quota of using my arm for the day."
"Baa-chan used to kick Sakura out all the time too." His laugh faltered as he registered the name that left his mouth. "Hinata. Listen…"
"You don't have to tip tow around me you know." Hinata broke the chopsticks ready to dive into the bowl of ramen that was placed in front of her "You can say her name."
"I can't really" He tried to laugh but failed "Not after what happened the night of the party."
The Hyuuga heiress decided not to say anything, waiting for him to find his words.
"The horrible things she said to you. I did not believe her capable of such viciousness." She watched as he ignored the noodles in front of him "Or maybe I do, she wasn't exactly the nicest to me when we were kids."
The silence between them seemed to say: and yet you chose her every time.
"I don't think she was mean to you on purpose." The Hyuuga said charitably remembering every instant the pink haired kunoichi made a cruel disparaging remark to the orphan beside her "You were both kids."
"And I was an annoying little shit so I deserved it sometimes." He grinned but it didn't last. "What's her excuse now? We're not kids anymore."
"I think her excuse should be entirely hers" Hinata put down her chopsticks on her bowl, facing him completely. "You shouldn't beat yourself up on other people's actions"
"You know Sasuke said the exact same thing." His smile was small "He also allowed me to finally talk to you."
"Allowed you?" Dark eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.
"Shit! That came out wrong. I don't mean in the sense that you're his possession or anything like that. But he is a bit possessive." The blond rambled on in a panic "He just threated to break my legs if I talked to you again. Crap. That sounds worse than it is. I just mean he cares in his own violent way and…Fuuuuck he's going to kill me."
Naruto winced as he stuck his foot into his mouth further and she giggled at the look of terror when he imagined the Uchiha's retribution.
"I'm trying….and failing to apologize." He cleared his throat trying again. "Teme just said to give you space."
"He did?" Hinata wondered when was it that Sasuke talked to Naruto about her. Now that she thought back on it the Hokage did stop his attempts at apologizing since he and Sakura became official.
Did Sasuke confront him after she went crying to him?
"His exact words were: You will not go near her or so help me I will make sure you can't use your legs for a month." Naruto grinned as if a threat from his best friend was a sign of affection. Knowing Sasuke, he probably meant that quite literally "He suggested you might be ready to listen to me now."
The blond's disposition changed completely as blue eyes regarded her with openness showing deep remorse.
"I am deeply sorry about it all. You gave me a second chance and I still messed it up." He couldn't keep eye contact for long "I know that I hurt you deeply, especially with the way it came out. Sometimes I wish I could take it all back."
"Don't say that." Hinata cut him off "Don't ever say that about your child. Don't ever say you regret your child."
"I don't. I didn't mean…" His eyes widened at her harsh tone. He knew that her father once said the exact same thing about her. Not to her face but she still heard him when he was speaking to her grandmother once "I just regret the way it all turned out to be such a mess."
"Love is messy." The blue-haired kunoichi sighed "You were in the wrong and you broke my heart. Twice. The first time should've been the last."
He didn't verbally agree with her statement but she could tell he did.
"I am also to blame."
"What?" Blue eyes snapped back to her face.
"I think I knew on a subconscious level that you were always in love with Sakura-chan." Hinata fixed her gaze on the counter "The first time you slept with her should've been an indicator. A part of me thought that maybe you did because we've never..."
"Hinata you.." Naruto tried to speak but she wasn't done talking
"But I knew you weren't like that. And I always believed in second chances." Hinata still didn't look at him "But I knew you were in love with her and I still put my heart on the line again for you because I loved you. And it took you saying that Sakura was always your first choice to know it was my fault for not walking away. Tells you a lot about my self-worth huh?"
"No." Tanned hands covered her fair ones "Hinata. No. I am the one in the wrong here. You deserve to be somebody's only choice. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel less than…"
His voice became choked up.
"You are beautiful and kind and good. Frankly you were too good for me." His laugh came out choked too. "There is a lucky Teme out there who knows that and who'll never let you go."
When she looked up at him, she could see how devasted he was by the prospect of her pain, by the idea that he might have made her question her worth even for one second. Hinata was so startled by the sincerity on his face that she didn't notice the use of that familiar moniker, he reserved for his best friend.
"Shit. Hinata, you've always been there for me and I made you think…" He swallowed hard "I'm sorry. I understand if you hate me."
"I could never hate you Naruto-kun." Hinata's eyes crinkled when she saw the look of awe on his face "You'll always have a special place in my heart."
"First loves huh?" Naruto's smile was small but no less sincere "I know how hard those are to shake off."
"They are." She answered "But they'll always be great even if they don't work out."
"I didn't cherish that, and you deserve something greater." His smile widened "I was your first love but I think someone better will fight like hell to be your last."
They kept looking at each other as they've both said all that needed to be said.
I forgive you. Said her smile.
Thank you. Answered his eyes.
After a few additional moments of silence, they faced ahead once again and reached for their respective bowl of Ramen.
"Bluh. It's cold" Naruto whined as he swallowed the noodles "Damn it! I've been looking forward to eating ramen the whole week."
Hinata giggled.
"I've missed you Naruto-kun."
"I missed you too Hinata-chan." His sunny grin shined on her and she knew all will be well.
Two weeks.
It had taken them two weeks to find a tangible lead.
After they made sure the Uchiha fortress was secure, he activated the wards with his blood making it impossible for anyone to enter without his permission or knowledge. He made a note to visit the rest of his properties and do the same.
From there on, they tracked the trail he picked up on with his Sharingan for days in no end, it led them into a wild goose chase with many false leads. That was to be expected as the trail hadn't been fresh and the purpose of the mission was information gathering anyway. So, they had to explore all possible leads. From the minor villages in the land of Hot Water, to the caves on the outskirts of the land of Lightning where they had to proceed with caution as to not raise suspicions.
By the time they found what they were looking for, Sasuke was about done with this mission. Suigetsu's incessant need to chat his ear off coupled with the sleep deprivation he subjected himself to so he wouldn't get pulled under the weight of his nightmares had left the Uchiha in a fool mood that put every living being around him on edge. Even Jugo's birds who were generally used to his unnerving presence scattered when he snapped at Suigetsu to shut up.
Sasuke rubbed his eyes in aggravation. He needed sleep.
But he knew that the moment he put his head on a pillow (or any other surface), he'll be plagued with vivid nightmares about the massacre and Itachi's final hours. That was the price to pay for using his Sharingan in the site of his fight against his brother. And he couldn't afford to wake up screaming at night alerting any potential enemy of their presence. Which was why he was running on two to three hours of superficial sleep and pure adrenaline.
The raven-haired shinobi took calming breaths to ground himself. Both his teammates kept quiet, not commenting on his outburst. They were used to worse from him in the old days.
His team was currently hidden behind thick foliage in the middle of a forest in the land of Frost. They found the hideout in one of the small abandoned villages that were evacuated during the Fourth Shinobi War. Most of the villagers that relocated to Konoha decided to stay there giving that the weather was less harsh and that facilitated their trade and daily life. Which was probably the reason why the group of shinobi and thugs they tracked down thought it wise to meet in the open.
The hideout wasn't even concealed or that well-guarded.
"Sooo what's the plan?" Suigetsu asked not being able to be quiet for more than five minutes. Sometimes he wondered how he found himself stuck with another version of Naruto, a psychotic one at that.
"We infiltrate the hideout and look for the meeting room." Sasuke answered. They each have been following different members. All three of them found the same information "All of them should be in there for the meeting taking place today."
"Are we going in Five Kage Summit style?" Sharp pointy teeth gleamed in the sunlight. "I really liked your epic entrance at the time Sassy."
"No." Sasuke held the bridge of his nose "We're going in undetected; we'll gather as much information as necessary."
"You're no fun." The icy-blue haired Shinobi whined. "Fiiiine. But I'm cutting the head of the first bastard that attacks us."
"Don't jeopardize the mission so you could cause mayhem." The Uchiha glared at his teammate who raised his hands in surrender "There'll be plenty of time left for battle later."
"What should I do Sasuke?" Jugo asked trying to defuse any upcoming fight.
"You stay outside as a lookout and to pick up the leftovers that may run out." The orange haired shinobi nodded in understanding.
"So are we using one of your portals?" Suigetsu's voice held all the excitement of kids on a Christmas morning "Are we punching a whole through the roof or are we sneaking in through the sewers?"
"No, we use the front door." He smirked as he stood up to make his way towards the entrance of the small building. Both his teammates shrugged following him.
The lone guard at the door didn't even have time to utter a single word before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell unconscious under Sasuke's Genjutsu. The Uchiha waltzed in with his companion who followed him and kept to the shadows. He was glad that no matter how loud and obnoxious Suigetsu appeared to be, he was still a competent shinobi.
They methodically swept every room without getting detected, the more rooms they saw the more it became clear that this building was an abandoned inn that this group converted into a hideout. It was deserted which made him deduce everyone was gathered in one place. It didn't take long to find it. It was a bar; one man was standing on a makeshift stage speaking while a few others were scattered around the room sitting at tables enjoying drinks and chatting away merrily.
This is their base of operation?
Both shinobi snuck in undetected and melted with the shadows becoming one with them. The dim lighting helped their task.
"Friends! Friends!" The man standing on the stage spoke to get the others' attention "Allow me to start this meeting by raising a glass to those brave men who ventured into that demon's lair and showed him what it means to mess with us."
Cheers and exclamations of approval met the statement.
"Yes, well done but if we want the red eyed demon to hear us, we'll have to speak louder!"
Cheers again. Sasuke guessed that he was supposed to be this 'demon'. Fair enough.
"We could attack Otto next!" One thug said "He loves that village, he'll come for it."
That's news to me.
"Don't be an idiot, Otto is well protected." Another answered.
Well, that answered his question; He was the sole target not Konoha.
"I heard the Uchiha clan were friendly with cat summons." A third one spoke after taking a swing out of his beer bottle "We could summon a bunch and leave their dead carcass on his doorsteps."
"You need to have a contract with them to be able to summon them." Another man snorted " How did you even make it into this organization? Morron."
"Hey! You want to say that to my face?!" The other fisted his shirt.
Sasuke looked at his friend's face who cocked an incredulous eyebrow at the scene. He spent two weeks tracking down this group of squabbling children? That only added to his annoyance.
"Friends, let's not fight." The sleezy man upstage spoke again "We all have the same goal here. To make the Uchiha pay for all the crimes done by him and his cursed kin."
"Yeah!" Nods and Yess followed.
"Your suggestion wasn't bad Botan-san, but we want to lure him out of the hidden leaf villages so we can surround him and kill him." Sasuke heard the small hidden snort that escaped Suigetsu at that unrealistic statement, luckily the crowd was so loud that no one else did.
"Don't be condescending Daisuke." A short man answered "Your plan failed. The Uchiha didn't show up after we trashed his property."
"What did the higher ups say once you reported this failure?"
His ears perked up at the mention, maybe there was more to the story than this pitiful group of low life shinobi and common thugs.
"Yeah! You were so sure that he'll follow us after we attacked that old ruin." One of them crossed his arm in defiance "But we received no information about any sightings."
The Konoha shinobi had the urge to scoff at that. Did they think he was some amateur that won't pick up on the spies they left behind to report on him? His team picked them one by one, sending a fake report every few days as to not raise alarms.
"That is why we are having this meeting." Daisuke who he surmised was the default leader and middle man of this group answered "The higher ups want to hear your thoughts before implementing their own plan."
"We need better bait." The sole woman of the group said from her place in the corner "We need something he actually cares about."
Sasuke felt dread settle in the pit of his stomach.
"We can go after one of his teammates."
"You want to capture Konoha's Hokage?" One of them said incredulously.
"Do you have a better idea?" The first answered. "It's not my fault he's a soulless monster who doesn't care for anyone else."
"Everyone cares for someone." The woman insisted "Even a monster has a weakness."
"There's the old cat lady and her granddaughter, the one that used to supply the Uchihas with their weapon." Suggested another.
"I like your idea Emi-san." Daisuke grinned "I'll be sure to report it to the higher ups. We just need bait to lure him out."
"There's no need." Sasuke decided to put an end to this meeting. He materialized on the stage near Daisuke who took a step back "I'm here."
He had heard enough. The purpose of this group was uncovered, their target determined and the link to the bigger fish was located. The information gathering portion of the mission was done. All that was left was to clean house.
His Sharingan swept lazily across the room, taking note of the way all of them stood up. Expressions of shock and fear painted their faces.
"You all look surprised to see me." He leaned casually against the wall as he observed Daisuke make his way into the crowd "When you knock on the gates of hell, the devil answers."
"H-How d-did you find u-us?" Someone stuttered, gripping a kunai tightly. His knees wobbled when the Uchiha fixated his red orbs on him.
Pathetic.
"Be careful when making wishes in the dark." Suigetsu gave them a feral grin as he body blocked the only exit.
"I'll give you all one chance to lay down your weapons and surrender." His voice was neutral "Or I'll start taking preventative measures and separate a few heads from their bodies."
"Hah! I love it when dark Sasuke comes out to play!" The Hozuki laughed, his hand tightening on Samehada that also quivered in excitement. The Uchiha still didn't understand how that sword was an entity on its own.
"DIE!" A shinobi launched himself at him with kunai. The Uchiha sighed as his teammate materialized in front of him and cleaved the shinobi in two.
"What?" Suigetsu grinned unapologetically ignoring the gasps of those who just watched their comrade die horrifically "I told you I'll cut the head of the first bastard that attacked us."
"Just don't kill the short one." Sasuke said as his Rinnegan tracked the fleeing Daisuke. His teammate gave him one last grin before he dove into the chaos with a delighted battle cry.
The raven-haired shinobi also joined the fray when a bulky man with a sword headed towards him, lightening enveloped Kusanagi as both swords clashed. His enemy's weapon soon turned to ash after being subjected to his volatile chakra, the man himself fell to his knees once he slashed his throat with no hesitation.
Every one of these thugs probably had a valid reason to hate him. And he probably understood more than they knew, their need for revenge. He accepted a long time ago to bear the weight of his sins, to accept their hate and mistrust. Those who mattered forgave him and that was the most important thing. He could take their hate.
But he will not take an attack against him laying down just because he felt guilty. And he especially will not stand for people he cared about being threatened without retaliation.
Even though the idea they could target Naruto or even Nekobaa the old cat lady under the Uchiha clan protection was idiotic at best, suicidal at worst. It was the mere notion that made his sword move through flesh more swiftly.
Because as the woman he just knocked out said; it was a matter of finding the right bait. And his mind had instantly conjured the image of Hinata the second her suggestion left her lips. So no the Uchiha felt no remorse as he eliminated threat after threat.
The battle or more accurately the blood bath ended in the span of fifteen minutes. The Uchiha mentioned to his companion who was grinning from ear to ear to follow him outside, where they met a struggling Daisuke pinned by jugo's enormous frame.
"You and I are going to have a little chat." Sasuke addressed the whimpering man who tried to put on a brave face.
"I-I'm n-not talking." Daisuke said.
"Well that's just stupid." Suigetsu kneeled down to his eye level once Jugo finished tying him to a tree "You see my buddy here is in a really bad mood. And if you annoy him more, we'll have to deal with his bitching for the rest of the way home."
"Suigetsu." He all but growled.
"See what I'm dealing with." The icy blue haired shinobi smirked
"Who sent you?" The Uchiha's red eyes fixated on the quivering man "Who are you working for?"
"Now would be a good time to start talking." The Kiri nin chimed in.
"Why should I tell you anything!?" Daisuke snapped "You killed my friends!"
"Did I?" A dark eyebrow rose "My condolences."
"Yeah." Suigetsu grinned "They died like pussies."
"Let's stop pretending you cared for anyone in there" The Uchiha glanced at his orange-haired teammate ignoring the sniveling man "Jugo. Gather any remaining survivors, get them ready for transport."
"Can I keep his intestines after you're done?" Suigetsu's eyes gleamed with amusement at Daisuke's paling complexion "You know how Samehada likes the taste of them."
The gigantic sword moved as if to profess its agreement, and Sasuke had to suppress his smirk at his teammate's overexaggerating threat. Who was he to deny his fun anyway? Especially since it seemed to have the desired effect on their captive.
"Y-you're a-a m-monster." Daisuke looked like he was about to throw up.
"I am." Sharp teeth gleamed as if to emphasis the statement "But you should see the demon he becomes when he's in one of his mood. Fair warning, he is in a mood today."
That seemed enough to break him. Daisuke started crying and pleading, making all sort of promises about the intel he had and all the information he could give them.
Suigetsu grinned at him as if saying: And all that, without a single drop of blood.
His myth certainly had its uses.
"Stop talking." Sasuke gave his voice that cold quality, sliding effortlessly into the role of the demon Daisuke's mind conjured. "Tell me about this organization and what your role is in it?"
His captive's skin blanched even further once his mismatched eyes didn't leave his form.
"You can talk now." His expressionless face seemed to unnerve him more.
"I-I'm j-just a business man in the underground community." Sweat dripped from his forehead "I-I w-was a-aproached by a shinobi and h-he p-payed me g-good money to recruit r-rogue shinobi and c-criminals who had a g-grudge a-against…"
"Me" The Uchiha answered as he trailed off.
"Not just you." The other man fidgeted "A-anyone w-who w-wasn't satisfied with peace. T-those w-who think you were in league with Madara and Obito U-Uchiha. All that hated the Uchiha name. Anyone who w-wanted r-revenge was promised just that if they joined."
"So there were no hiring standards?" Daisuke shuddered when Suigetsu spoke "Those guys weren't exactly the sharpest tools in the shed."
"T-they were just that: Tools." Sasuke felt a sneer twisting his face. So they used their grief and discontent to reach their goals. Some of them weren't even fighters, he tried to spare those who weren't gunning for his head, but battles were messy.
"And where are your tools from?"
"Everywhere." The short man answered "It didn't matter to the higher ups where they were from. As long as they had a vendetta against the Uchiha they were welcome no matter their shinobi status."
Well that complicated things. They were dealing with an international underground organization that was amassing bodies. That meant there wasn't just one village this could be attributed to. The word was already out that any Uchiha haters could join. At this rate they'll have an army.
The good news was as Suigetsu said most aren't the sharpest tools in the shed, as he'd seen in the meeting without Daisuke to direct them they'll be running around like a flock of headless chicken.
Cut off the snake's head and the body falls.
"Tell me about the higher ups." Sasuke ordered.
"I-I've only ever met that one shinobi." Daisuke's breath became labored " I know that they a-are prominent f-figures f-from t-two m-major s-shinobi villages."
"Which villages?" His Sharingan narrowed.
"I-I…" Sweat coated his face as he started wheezing "I..I can't b-breath."
Sasuke glanced at Suigetsu who had the same apprehensive looks as they watched coughs rack Daisuke's body. His Sharingan spun as he picked up the foreign chakra in the civilian's body start to surge. That was the only warning they got before the explosion.
The Uchiha coughed as the form of his Susano protecting him receded.
"What happened?" Jugo came running out holding two unconscious people on each shoulder.
"Man! Someone really wants you dead" Suigetsu watery body reformed near him.
"More like someone made sure to cover their tracks." The Uchiha answered as he kneeled to examine the charred body "Someone with access to a Fuinjutsu master."
That confirmed that those after him were indeed at the top of the shinobi food chain.
Great.
"I've only ever seen a seal acting like that once." The raven-haired shinobi sighed "When Danzo Shimura blew himself up in an attempt to take me down with him."
All roads lead back to that bastard.
"Do you think it's some copy cat or is someone with a connection to him involved?" Jugo asked worriedly "An insider job in Konoha?"
"I'm counting all possibilities in." Sasuke rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache start to settle in. Just what he needed. A threat closer to home.
"I'd like to come with you to Konoha" The gentle giant said.
"You don't have to." He faced both his teammates "You have your quiet life in Otto plus I thought you were done with the shinobi life."
"I'm here aren't I?" Jugo smiled "I'll always be your shield Sasuke."
The Uchiha felt his own smile tugging at his lips. He didn't deserve Jugo's unwavering loyalty.
"Don't go sappy on me now" Suigetsu smirked.
"What about you Suigetsu?" The orange haired shinobi asked.
"I think Konoha sounds like fun" The kiri-nin grinned "What do you say Sassy? It'll be like old times."
"Not exactly like old times." The Uchiha chuckled "Or I would've gutted you right about now for calling me that."
"Nah, you never did before." Suigetsu grinned as he started walking.
"Because Karin used to punch you for him." Jugo chuckled holding his captives more firmly .
"I can't tell you how glad I am that she's not here" Sasuke felt an arm resting around his shoulder "I heard Konoha has the hottest chicks, right Sasuke?"
"Hn." The Uchiha removed the offending appendage as he walked ahead of them.
"Jeez." Suigetsu fake whispered to jugo "He really needs to get laid."
"Suigetsu." He called out a warning rubbing his forehead again.
Between the unknown threat against him, his former teammates antics and Konoha's own internal unrest. The days ahead promised to be interesting.
Sasuke ignored Suigetsu's babbling as his gaze fixed towards the road leading back to Konoha.
The way back to home.
AN: Dear readers, I know, I know it's been so long! I'm sorry it took me so long to post again, I have been buried in work and studying and had to take a step away from my computer. But now i'm back!
The chapters ahead promise to be interesting. At least in my head. The plot had just thickened.
I hope you enjoyed team taka's dynamics: The double act of morally grey Sasuke and Psychotic Suigetsu, jugo is there to sooth the ruff edges. I played around with the idea of Karin joining them especially to create friction for Sasuhina but then I thought they already had enough bumbs in the roads ahead of them.
I know no Sasuhina interaction in this chapter but as you can see they're always on each other's minds. And you can look forward to the fluff ans Sasuke and Hinata's reunion in the next chapter, which I'll try to write as fast as I can.
I really enjoyed reading your reviews, in fact whenever I sometimes re read them before i start writing because they really do encourage me to write more.
Also I'm seriously considering cross posting this on AO3. but I feel like I need a better summary because the story has taken a direction I didn't envision at the begining. Tell me what you guys think. And of course I'll let you know if I do.
Please leave reviews!
-Your back-from-the-dead writer
Lady Thunder Storm.